She'd cried for what seemed like forever. The pain and the deceit seemed fathomless. She'd confided all to Priyanka and yet her friend, her best friend, her sister no less, never confided in her. How had she been so wrong? It threw all her trust and loving in the garbage. It made her feel hollow, withdrawn, mad. She'd never felt so angry and let down. Other friends understood they said, but in time, all they kept saying was "get over it already". Sympathy it seems lasts only so long between friends. That's when she turned to her other family members. Her mum was very loving and caring, but her father seemed relieved and a bit upset. Not for the way Priyanka acted, but for the fact his daughter had a would-be boyfriend she hadn't told them about. That peeved him more than his upset child. But her mother understood about heartache. She was kind and gentle. But even she, after a couple of months started with the tough love. The "pull yourself together" speeches that turned into lectures that turned into "whatever" shrugs. In truth, she felt her family had let her down. And as for her siblings...don't even go there! It's like they were from another planet speaking opposing languages. How could they be related by birth? They were just so very different.
Katy's small world had become smaller but she'd survived that two years. She'd become more independent. She had gradually begun trusting others and building new foundations tor friendship They may even lead ultimately to extending her family again, but time would tell. It had been quite a blow back then, the disappointment of a love gone wrong and the loss of family. She'd seen them of course. You couldn't help not to when you live right next door. It was like ripping off the Band-Aid each time she noticed them going or coming. Looking happy and seeming to her eyes as if they were in love. I mean, that's what they'd announced. But what did she truly know of love? To her love was loyalty, honesty and bringing joy to others. In doing what they did, neither Priyanka nor Miguel displayed those characteristics. In her eyes they'd let her down. In her eyes they'd failed her. But recently a nagging doubt came into her heart. They were still together. They looked happy. They seemed good together. They were well matched. Lately, her heart was experiencing something else new to her. An odd thing. She wasn't quite sure she liked it. Forgiveness.
It crept in ever so slowly at first. Little nagging questions like did she miss the signs? Did she misread things? Was she the one who stopped hanging around with them altogether because she felt betrayed? Hurt. Alone. Shamed. She'd trusted them and the betrayal and the shock had hurt her. But were they just being tactless? Uncaring. Shutting her out completely? The fact was two years was a long time to bear a grudge and let it cat away at you. she guessed people's hard attitude may have been to spare her feelings, to make her get on with life and not dwell on the bad. The pain. The tears. She missed her family, her closest friends who meant so much. She didn't want to be a hater, she wanted to forgive. And gradually that pain and anguish grew less, turning more towards forgiveness and love. She had her life still and had grown regardless. The lesson she'd learnt from the experience taught her she could deal with the hard knocks life would deal her. She knew if she could weather that she'd weather any storm. it gave her resilience. It gave her confidence. And with those things she started to shine within and that beauty started to show without. Katy became a stunner. A gorgeous and loving young woman. And she wanted to rid her heart of the last vestiges unpleasantness towards them. she wanted to forgive.
And there she was one sunny Summers day. Eighteen and a vision in her little white dress and sandals, stood at the doorstep next door pressing the bell. She knew neither Priyanka nor Miguel had ever persisted in courting her friendship. They'd rung a few times a couple of months later. They'd sent a few messages and emails after she wouldn't return their calls. But she hadn't ever read them. She'd cut them dead. And they eventually stopped. In her eyes, she'd never have stopped. If you love someone, if they're you're family you keep trying. You keep fighting. And that's why she's here. She had thought them her family, why hadn't she kept trying, kept fighting to have them close. To forgive them. You forgive the ones you love right? You forgive family. And though she felt at this moment she could never return them to the way it had been, to the good times of before; she could return them to a different place. To a new place. She was ready for that at least. She was ready to forgive. They could be friends. Not family, but maybe friends.
That was the day Katy became a woman. A decent, loving, evolved human being with her whole wonderful life ahead of her. The day she found new light, new joy, a new start. Katy had forgiveness in her heart and her heart was free, open. Open to new possibilities, new things, new love.. and that's when Salman, the oldest brother of the family opened the door. And the rest, as they say, was history.
The End
